Food & Wine Experience this weekend

A few thousand foodies will be caravanning to the Minneapolis Convention Center this weekend for Minnesota Monthly's annual scarf-fest, the Food & Wine Experience. More than 200 exhibitors will be handing out food, wine, and beer samples. You can also get in on a few seminars, chef demos, and book signings, or witness the Czar of Cakes Challenge, in which six bakeries compete for cash prizes by creating the most "over-the-top fabulous" cakes.

The exhibitor list seems a bit light on local high-end restaurants, but some of the Twin Cities eateries on hand will be: Chino Latino, Il Gatto, Manny's Steakhouse, North Coast Restaurant, Salut, St. Paul Grill, and Seven. Local breweries will be represented by Flat Earth and Summit, among others.

Tickets are a hefty $65, but they'll get you an entire day of face-stuffing either Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. or Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. More info here.